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Assessment
Assessment ' '''The Role of Assessment in Teaching: ' Assessing student learning is something that every teacher has to do, usually quite frequently. Written tests, book reports, research papers, homework exercises, oral presentations, question-and-answer sessions, science projects, and artwork of various sorts are just some of the ways in which teachers measure student learning, with written tests accounting for about 45 percent of a typical student's course grade (Green & Stager, 1986/1987). ' ' 'What is Assessment? ' classroom assessment involves two major types of activities: collecting information about how much knowledge and skill students have learned (measurement) and making judgments about the adequacy or acceptability of each student's level of learning (evaluation). 'Measurement ' Measurement is the assignment of numbers to certain attributes of objects, events, or people according to a rule-governed system.' ' ' '''Evaluation ' Evaluation involves using a rule-governed system to make judgments about the value or worth of a set of measures (Linn & Gronlund, 1995). Why should we assess Students' Learning? ' to provide summaries of learning to provide information on learning progress to diagnose specific strengths and weaknesses in an individual's learning to motivate further learning ' ' '''Summative Evaluation ' The first, and probably most obvious, reason for assessment is to provide to all interested parties a clear, meaningful, and useful summary or accounting of how well a student has met the teacher's objectives. When testing is done for the purpose of assigning a letter or numerical grade, it is often called summative evaluation since its primary purpose is to sum up how well a student has performed over time and at a variety of tasks. 'Formative Evaluation ' A second reason for assessing students is to monitor their progress. The main things that teachers want to know from time to time is whether students are keeping up with the pace of instruction and are understanding all of the material that has been covered so far. Because the purpose of such assessment is to facilitate or form learning and not to assign a grade, it is usually called formative evaluation. '' '' '' '''Diagnosis ' A third reason follows from the second. If you discover a student who is having difficulty keeping up with the rest of the class, you will probably want to know why in order to determine the most appropriate course of action. This purpose may lead you to construct an assessment that will provide you with specific diagnostic information. 'Effects on Learning ' A fourth reason for assessment of student performance is that it has potentially positive effects on various aspects of learning and instruction. ' Which type is used, and to what extent, will depend on the purpose or purposes you have for assessing students: '''1. Written Tests ' Teachers spend a substantial part of each day assessing student learning, and much of this assessment activity involves giving and scoring some type of written test. Most written tests are composed of one or more of the following item types: selected response (multiple choice, true-false, and matching, for example), short answer, and essay. They are designed to measure how much people know about a particular subject. 2. Selected-Response Tests ''' Selected-response tests are typically made up of multiple-choice, true-false, or matching items. Selected-response tests are sometimes called "objective" tests because they have a simple and set scoring system. ' Selected-response tests are typically used when the primary goal is to assess what might be called foundational knowledge'. ' '''Advantages ' Ø Efficiency -- a teacher can ask many questions in a short period of time Ø ease and reliability of scoring Disadvantages ' Ø Because items that reflect the lowest level of Bloom's Taxonomy (verbatim knowledge) are the easiest to write, most teacher-made tests are composed almost entirely of knowledge-level items Ø while we get some indication of what students know, such tests tell us nothing about what students can do with that knowledge. '''3. Short-Answer Tests ' Instead of selecting from one or more alternatives, the student is asked to supply a brief answer consisting of a name, word, phrase, or symbol. They are primarily used for measuring foundational knowledge. ' '''Advantages ' Ø easy to write Ø They allow for either broad or in-depth assessment of foundational knowledge since students can respond to many items within a short space of time Disadvantages ''' Ø these items ask only for short verbatim answer Ø these items provide no information about how well students can use what they have learned Ø Unexpected but plausible answers may be difficult to score.' '''4. Essay Tests ' The student is given a somewhat general directive to discuss one or more related ideas according to certain criteria. Advantages ''' Ø Essay tests reveal how well students can recall, organize, and clearly communicate previously learned information.' '''Disadvantages ' Ø Consistency of grading is likely to be a problem Ø These test items are also very time consuming to grade 5. Performance Tests ''' Performance tests attempt to assess how well students use foundational knowledge to perform complex tasks under more or less realistic conditions. ' '''Types of Performance Tests ' · Direct Writing Assessments:' '''These tests ask students to write about a specific topic under a standard set of conditions. Each essay is then scored by two or more people according to a set of defined criteria. · '''Portfolios': A portfolio may contain one or more pieces of a student's work, some of which demonstrate different stages of completion'.' · Exhibitions:' '''Exhibitions involve just what the label suggests -- a showing of such products as paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, videotapes, and models. · '''Demonstrations:' 'In this type of performance testing, students are required to show how well they can use previously learned knowledge or skills to solve a somewhat unique problem or perform a task '''Ways to Evaluate Student Learning ' One approach involves comparisons among students. Such forms of evaluation are called norm-referenced since students are identified as average (or normal), above average, or below average. An alternative approach is called criterion-referenced because performance is interpreted in terms of defined criteria. '''a) 'NORM-REFERENCED GRADING' b) 'CRITERION-REFERENCED GRADING' 'Suggestions for Teaching in Your Classroom: Effective Assessment Techniques: ' 1. As early as possible in a report period, decide when and how often to give tests and other assignments that will count toward a grade, and announce tests and assignments well in advance. 2. Prepare a content outline and/or a table of specifications of the objectives to be covered on each exam, or otherwise take care to obtain a systematic sample of the knowledge and skill acquired by your students. 3. Consider the purpose of each test or measurement exercise in light of the developmental characteristics of the students in your classes and the nature of the curriculum for your grade level. 4. Decide whether a written test or a performance test is most appropriate. 5. Make up and use a detailed answer key. a. Evaluate each answer by comparing it to the key. b. Be willing and prepared to defend the evaluations you make. 6. During and after the grading process, analyze questions and answers in order to improve future exams. 'References: ' 1.Fulcher, G and Davidson, F. (2007) Language Testing and Assessment: An advanced resource book '' 2. Popham, W. J. (2003). ''Test Better,Teach Better: The Instructional Role of Assessment 3.Biehler and Snowman,(1997). Psychology Applied to Teaching, Houghton Mifflin. 2. Atherton J S (2011) ''Teaching and Learning; Assessment Assessment ''UK retrieved 26 April 201323 February 2013 from file:///K:/downloads/assessment.htmhttp://www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/assessment.htm